My revised response: social media can be an effective tool. It takes considerable time to connect with appropriate people, comment on discussions, and find/post relevant information. Social media can be used to help drive traffic to your website and is one of the few mediums that allow you to tell your story. Of course you must also get readers (followers). It occurs to me that you can use your website as a comprehensive resource for your clients and social media accounts as news feeds to your existing and potential clients. Your social media accounts are unique in that people choose to connect to you. As you know, an invitation is issued and accepted. This makes it truly unique.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Thoughts on Social Media
Earlier this morning I was on LinkedIn (a social media network) reviewing group postings. One of the discussions I ran across was from a professional economic developer. He asked in addition to on-site company visits and websites, what else can a community do?
My revised response: social media can be an effective tool. It takes considerable time to connect with appropriate people, comment on discussions, and find/post relevant information. Social media can be used to help drive traffic to your website and is one of the few mediums that allow you to tell your story. Of course you must also get readers (followers). It occurs to me that you can use your website as a comprehensive resource for your clients and social media accounts as news feeds to your existing and potential clients. Your social media accounts are unique in that people choose to connect to you. As you know, an invitation is issued and accepted. This makes it truly unique.
My revised response: social media can be an effective tool. It takes considerable time to connect with appropriate people, comment on discussions, and find/post relevant information. Social media can be used to help drive traffic to your website and is one of the few mediums that allow you to tell your story. Of course you must also get readers (followers). It occurs to me that you can use your website as a comprehensive resource for your clients and social media accounts as news feeds to your existing and potential clients. Your social media accounts are unique in that people choose to connect to you. As you know, an invitation is issued and accepted. This makes it truly unique.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Middle School Band Competition
Yesterday I chaperoned my daughter’s middle school band to a regional competition held at MSU. My daughter plays the oboe. I am so glad I had the opportunity to go.
It was about an hour drive on the school bus to MSU. The trip was uneventful. We took about 50 people. We had 21 kids on our bus, the second bus had 22. Two adults were on each bus. The kids were well behaved, but it did get a little loud. I had my trusty Kindle so I could read during the ride. Trying to be helpful on the return trip, I volunteered to take role on my bus, but I only knew four kids. I started reading names on the list and my daughter stood up and said, Dad give it to me. She read the names, said yes, yes, yes…It went so much faster.
Much to my surprise the band played only two pieces. It was a real treat for me to hear my daughter and her friends play. Yes, I go to the concerts but this was different. First, the middle school competed against high school bands. Second, they held their own.
The process works like this, the band sets up and plays two pieces to three judges. They are then ranked. Next, they go and play a sight piece. I had to ask what that meant. The band is given sheet music they have never read or seen and must then play it. I could not go in and listen.
What made this so unique to me is that I rode the bus with the band director. She is a very dedicated musician and teacher. Before the trip, I admired her. Now, I admire and greatly respect her. She has expectations for her students and demands that they practice. She puts in long hours. When I think about what is right about education, it is that good and skilled people continue to be drawn to teaching.
Side note: the band teacher asked me to go with the percussion players and wait to be called. The percussion players were separated from the rest of the band for short time. It never occurred for me to ask why. I knew two of the eight kids. It was a lively bunch. They seemed excited to compete. I enjoyed my time with them. One young man played with his phone the entire time. He had some apps I did not know about. An example is the voice app, you say something into the phone and it is repeated in a different voice. However, he told me that some days he had to charge his phone every two hours and he had a charger with him. Does that mean chargers are the latest cool accessory?
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
The Age of Self Marketing
We live in an amazing age. If marketing is part of your professional job responsibilities you have far more venues than ever before. Most of the tools I write about are free and in the world of social networking. The only investment is a computer, a digital camera, and an internet connection.
It also takes time to develop and polish content. A good editor also helps. Brief is good. It is a different kind of language. Think of it as texting with a professional orientation. In these networks spelling and grammar really matter, Twitter is an exception. You will see why.
It also takes time to develop and polish content. A good editor also helps. Brief is good. It is a different kind of language. Think of it as texting with a professional orientation. In these networks spelling and grammar really matter, Twitter is an exception. You will see why.
Before I get too far into this, it is important to differentiate between sales and marketing. As my sister explained it to me, marketing is creating the environment/perception of a product or service so the sales process can start much quicker. If the marketing is done correctly then closing the sale is far easier.
For any organization that markets a product or service, the choices are formidable and allow for easier audience segmentation. A few of my preferred avenues:
- Twitter. Twitter is very much like a news feed. You can post updates, photos and articles that your audience may find helpful. Fortunately or unfortunately, you are only allowed 140 characters. It takes great discipline to write a tweet. Anybody can follow you (so be sure you are careful what you post).
The beauty of Twitter is you can actually segment your audience. You get followers and you follow people and/or organizations that you like. Ford's various twitter accounts are an excellent example. The company has twitter accounts for different cars and trucks. As a consumer I do not waste time with information I am not interested in. Very smart.
Former GE CEO Jack Welch had the best description of Twitter. Think of it as a cocktail party. You can go around and find a discussion or commentary that is of interest to you. He is absolutely right. That is the same way I look at it. - LinkeIn. This is the most professional social networking site. Unlike Twitter, you are the reason people choose to connect. You must accept an invitation or you must issue an invitation to connect.
LinkedIn is the premier peer-to-peer social network. It allows the formation of groups to post questions and discuss issues of mutual interest. Several people have posted questions or challenges and have received numerous helpful comments and suggestions. Perhaps the best way to look at LinkedIn is to consider it as a virtual professional association.
In spite of the potential abuse, most members do a very good job limiting the sales effort. When a member oversteps the boundary of an overt sales push, other LinkedIn members usually issue a sharp response.
Generally, you find professional updates on an individual and organization. It is quite refreshing.
A new service offered by LinkedIn is the ability to follow companies. - Facebook. Among the first of the social networks and the only one that was the subject of a major motion picture and a CNBC profile. The founder is Zuckerman. He is to social networks what Bill Gates is to software.
Facebook was originally a way for teenagers to connect. We parents monitored it because we were unsure about what our kids were involved with. Now, we use it too. In fact, middle agers use it so much Facebook is no longer considered cool.
For posting pictures and videos, no social network site makes it easier. It is equally easy to access photos/videos.
A key concern is privacy. I think several people add somewhat personal data and do not realize that it can be accessed by the entire Facebook family.
Facebook made a strategic move into business. Now, businesses can post profiles, cultivate followers and post items for discussion. - Blogs. A blog is defined as a web log. Most blogs remind me of a journal, the only difference is everybody can read it. Blogs are popular when combined with Twitter and an organization’s website. On a blog you have virtually unlimited space. You can also post pictures, etc. I have a blog, www.georgeharben.blogspot.com
A key component of all social networks is creating content that is of interest to your target market. That is no easy or simple task. You should spend at least an hour creating content and commenting on social network discussions in LinkedIn and to a lesser degree Facebook. You will need to ratchet up your professional reading. In addition, you will learn a new language when Tweeting (remember, 140 characters). One key point, YOU are commenting, not an abstract organization. So you are accountable and you should exercise great caution.
Unlike other media forms (think advertising), these networks are truly a combination of your reputation, your contacts and the product or service you are marketing. An ad is focuses on the final product; social media networks in large part are oriented to the individual. As noted earlier, LinkedIn requires that you give permission to connect to your account. Generally, people accept invitations from people, not from a company. This is where your contacts, reputation, and relationships can really pay off. As you participate in discussions and offer useful updates to your targets, you may receive new invitations and issue new ones.
As noted earlier, Twitter is one where people choose to follow you. Generally people start on Twitter by searching for people they know or respect and then follow them. Or, people follow companies, organizations, and products. As we all know, Twitter allows only 140 characters per Tweet (or post). Fortunately, if you decide to post a link, TweetDeck automatically shortens it. Tweetdeck is a program that allows you to follow multiple Twitter and other accounts (LinkedIn and Facebook) and post updates and links.
What types of updates are appropriate? Well, any news on an organization, announcement, self-improvement (like attending a seminar or webinar), and links to interesting and appropriate news stories. What is likely not appropriate – any update on family. Save those updates for Facebook.
I know people mix the business and personal content and posts on their social media networks. I try not to. From my perspective, Facebook is really for family and friends. I am highly selective who I invite on Facebook. On Twitter anyone can follow. WIth LinkedIn, I am selective as to who I invite, but usually accept any invitation received. My Facebook account has no work references or business contact information. Facebook posts are almost strictly family and personally oriented. My LinkedIn account has very little personal information and all posts are professional.
Unlike other social networks, I have three Twitter accounts. One is strictly professional (@Harben_eco_dev). The other two are more like my news feeds (@Harben_business and @GNHarben). By far most of my Tweets are on my professional account. In general, I offer appropriate updates; retweet Tweets I read and think will be of interest to my followers; and commentary on Tweets posted by my followers. Sometimes I post to LinkedIn via TweetDeck. A new service I recently discovered is that you can post updates to Twitter from a Kindle. If you subscribe to various business publications via Kindle, then you can select a small amount of text and post it directly to a Twitter account.
It can be confusing, but an important component is the ability of Twitter to segment markets and professional vs. personal interests.
A blog is used by businesses for a variety of purposes. I think the ease of use, virtually unlimited space, and link to a website are a few reasons. An interesting blog I saw was by the CEO of a start-up automotive assembly operation. I thought of his blog as receiving a small part of his annual report to stakeholders on a daily or weekly basis.
As I first wrote, we live in an amazing time. Our ability to reach out and discover is unparalleled to any time in history. These are not programs to be afraid of. Rather, they should be embraced. You can customize each network to fit your needs and challenges. Come on in. Send me an invitation or follow me on Twitter. You are welcome and I look forward to reading your posts.
Postscript - March 9, 2011
I started writing this post a couple of weeks ago. Today I read a Tweet that is on point.
One issue that continues to nag me is who owns a social media account? The company or the individual? I think this is an interesting question. A recent court case in CA said a policeman's texts sent from his business phone belong to the police department. Another article I found said if you use the company WiFi network, the company has access to the data (not sure how that will work).
So, who owns the social networks? According to the article I read on Twitter, most companies prefer that the question not be asked. Second, it is generally accepted that the individual owns the social networks. The article notes, as does my blog, that the connections are with an individual, not with a company. Hence, the connections do will not have the same value should the primary connection depart. I understand that line of reasoning.
But, I have no doubt, this will soon be a very hot topic. An example. An employee attends a tradeshow, then issues invitations to every person he met to connect on a social network. Who owns the contact? The company paid for the employee to attend the tradeshow, the company paid of the computer, the company paid the employee.
A second consideration. What about people you hire and bring in their own social networks and corresponding contacts? I think this is easier issue. This could be a very interesting debate.
Postscript - March 9, 2011
I started writing this post a couple of weeks ago. Today I read a Tweet that is on point.
One issue that continues to nag me is who owns a social media account? The company or the individual? I think this is an interesting question. A recent court case in CA said a policeman's texts sent from his business phone belong to the police department. Another article I found said if you use the company WiFi network, the company has access to the data (not sure how that will work).
So, who owns the social networks? According to the article I read on Twitter, most companies prefer that the question not be asked. Second, it is generally accepted that the individual owns the social networks. The article notes, as does my blog, that the connections are with an individual, not with a company. Hence, the connections do will not have the same value should the primary connection depart. I understand that line of reasoning.
But, I have no doubt, this will soon be a very hot topic. An example. An employee attends a tradeshow, then issues invitations to every person he met to connect on a social network. Who owns the contact? The company paid for the employee to attend the tradeshow, the company paid of the computer, the company paid the employee.
A second consideration. What about people you hire and bring in their own social networks and corresponding contacts? I think this is easier issue. This could be a very interesting debate.
Monday, February 28, 2011
You Can Trust the Established Media, I Guarantee It!
I try to watch the Sunday morning politically oriented talk shows before I go to church and if I cannot, I try to catch the reruns later in the day. One of the more surprising discussions I heard was Dana Milbank's moratorium on covering Sarah Palin and asking other journalists to not cover her. Dana Milbank is a writer for the Washington Post. Milbank wrote "I feel powerless to control my obsession, even though it cheapens and demeans me." I cannot exactly tell if his article is a satire or if it was serious. If it is a serious column, then he is incredibly self-centered. If it is satire, then it is in very poor taste.
Interesting comment. I find it discouraging that a DC Beltway reporter has decided he thinks he is a less than stellar reporter because he has written numerous stories about Gov. Palin. And it somehow makes him less intelligent and by his reasoning us less intelligent because we want to read about her and read her comments.
Further in Milbank's article he writes "Palin clearly isn't going away: "I am not going to sit down. I'm not going to shut up," she on Monday. But if we treat her a little less like a major political figure and a little more like Ann Coulter -- a calculating individual who says shocking things to attract media attention -- it won't matter."
I am shocked and offended at this section of his column. He compares a columnist (one who writes to provoke) to a former elected official with a vast following and one who appears to have little regard or use for established news outlets. Just consider this, the columnist’s primary audience is found on college campus. The former governor has a tremendous following that cuts across almost all demographics. Gov. Palin ran in a primary against an incumbent and beat him. She ran for Alaska governor against a formidable former two term governor and won. She convinced a majority of the voters twice she was a superior candidate. I would not be fair if I did point out two similarities. Both are accomplished females and both are bestselling authors. Frankly, I found this comment by Mr. Milbank shallow and beneath his other stories.
In all honesty, this whole episode reminds me of why I stopped reading and watching most "established" news outlets. Yes, a long time ago I let my subscription to Time lapse, quit buying Newsweek and stopped going to the Washington Post and New York Times websites. Mr. Milbank symbolizes what is wrong with the established media. He thinks he knows what is best for us and we should trust his instincts and what he considers his obvious superior intellect. You see, we need him to help us figure out what we need to know. And we need him to tell us what to ignore.
My take is different. The establishment media is witnessing a steep decline in viewership and readership. Perhaps most importantly, I think a vast plurality (perhaps majority) do not entirely trust established media. The public benefits greatly from other sources, many free and on the internet. It was only 30 years ago we had three major networks and one cable news channel to choose from. You either put up with the bias or did not get your message out. It is far different today. We have numerous media outlets to choose from and several publications that we can tap to be better informed.
I think it really upsets Mr. Milbank and his establishment media friends that Gov. Palin has millions of followers and admirers, regardless how he tries to undermine the former governor. It must gall him and his establishment friends that we do not need him or his friends to follow Gov. Palin. We can go directly to the source; we can read her and other tweets, look on Facebook, blogs, CSPAN, think tank websites, and other sources. Most importantly, it must really irk him and his friends that Gov. Palin does not need him or his establishment friends to talk to her supporters and followers. Finally, I think it must anger Mr. Milbank and his friends that they need Gov. Palin far more than she needs him and his friends. It must be hard for Mr. Milbank to finally accept that he gets more irrelevant every day. In case you think I am wrong, how much was Newsweek sold for?
Postscript - March 8, 2011
Interesting comment. I find it discouraging that a DC Beltway reporter has decided he thinks he is a less than stellar reporter because he has written numerous stories about Gov. Palin. And it somehow makes him less intelligent and by his reasoning us less intelligent because we want to read about her and read her comments.
Further in Milbank's article he writes "Palin clearly isn't going away: "I am not going to sit down. I'm not going to shut up," she on Monday. But if we treat her a little less like a major political figure and a little more like Ann Coulter -- a calculating individual who says shocking things to attract media attention -- it won't matter."
I am shocked and offended at this section of his column. He compares a columnist (one who writes to provoke) to a former elected official with a vast following and one who appears to have little regard or use for established news outlets. Just consider this, the columnist’s primary audience is found on college campus. The former governor has a tremendous following that cuts across almost all demographics. Gov. Palin ran in a primary against an incumbent and beat him. She ran for Alaska governor against a formidable former two term governor and won. She convinced a majority of the voters twice she was a superior candidate. I would not be fair if I did point out two similarities. Both are accomplished females and both are bestselling authors. Frankly, I found this comment by Mr. Milbank shallow and beneath his other stories.
In all honesty, this whole episode reminds me of why I stopped reading and watching most "established" news outlets. Yes, a long time ago I let my subscription to Time lapse, quit buying Newsweek and stopped going to the Washington Post and New York Times websites. Mr. Milbank symbolizes what is wrong with the established media. He thinks he knows what is best for us and we should trust his instincts and what he considers his obvious superior intellect. You see, we need him to help us figure out what we need to know. And we need him to tell us what to ignore.
My take is different. The establishment media is witnessing a steep decline in viewership and readership. Perhaps most importantly, I think a vast plurality (perhaps majority) do not entirely trust established media. The public benefits greatly from other sources, many free and on the internet. It was only 30 years ago we had three major networks and one cable news channel to choose from. You either put up with the bias or did not get your message out. It is far different today. We have numerous media outlets to choose from and several publications that we can tap to be better informed.
I think it really upsets Mr. Milbank and his establishment media friends that Gov. Palin has millions of followers and admirers, regardless how he tries to undermine the former governor. It must gall him and his establishment friends that we do not need him or his friends to follow Gov. Palin. We can go directly to the source; we can read her and other tweets, look on Facebook, blogs, CSPAN, think tank websites, and other sources. Most importantly, it must really irk him and his friends that Gov. Palin does not need him or his establishment friends to talk to her supporters and followers. Finally, I think it must anger Mr. Milbank and his friends that they need Gov. Palin far more than she needs him and his friends. It must be hard for Mr. Milbank to finally accept that he gets more irrelevant every day. In case you think I am wrong, how much was Newsweek sold for?
Postscript - March 8, 2011
I am somewhat confused. We, the public, experienced Charlie Sheen’s meltdowns, incoherence, rants, and raves again and again and again as the actor appeared on network after network. It is this what Mr. Milbank means by an obsessed establishment media? If so, he may actually have a valid point. Perhaps Mr. Milbank should concentrate his proposed moratorium on stories (or non-stories) like this.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Final Flights of the Space Shuttle: End of an Era
The shuttle Discovery blasted off on her final mission yesterday. I watched it on CSPAN. Yes, I watch CSPAN.
Just a side note and probably largely forgotten by many people is that the first shuttle was the Enterprise. It was a prototype and did not travel into space.
The shuttle was and still is a remarkable vehicle. The ships constructed for space travel was five, Columbia, Challenger, Endeavor, Discovery and Atlantis. Most of the shuttles were built during the late 70s and early 80s. A shuttle is the first reusable launch system ever designed, developed and implemented. These five ships are workhorses. We have the international space station, satellites orbiting the planet, rovers exploring other planets in our solar system and a far better understanding of the universe because of these ships and the people of NASA. The shuttle program has served the U.S. well for decades.
As with any flight program, this one had risks. Two of the five ships were lost, Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003. These were tragic days, but few questioned the continued value of space exploration. It is testament to the U.S. people that we mourned the loss of brave astronauts, tried to learn from any mistakes, and resumed shuttle launches.
Humans are naturally curious. We want to know what is at the bottom of the ocean, what is beyond that mountain, what is beyond those stars. We spend fortunes, invest in new technology, and take great risks to find out. I think we are looking for answers and new sources of, well, just about everything up to and including new life, raw materials, energy, spices, you get the idea. It truly separates humans from all other animal forms on the planet. We are not only curious, we try to figure better and safer ways to explore.
Endeavor's last flight is planned for April 19th. Atlantis' last flight is tentatively scheduled for June 28th, but has not been funded.
This is the end of an era. For people around my age, we learned about the space missions of the 60s, we may remember the moon landing in 1969, studied space travel in school during the 70s and truly experienced space travel with the shuttle in the 80s.
Since the beginning of the shuttle program, we have seen over 130 launches. Please do not get the idea I have watched every one, but I have watched a few. However, this year I will try and watch the final flight of Endeavor and Atlantis, just like I watched Columbia take off 30 years ago. I will experience a thrill as I listen to the countdown. My heart will beat faster as the engines start right before takeoff. I will celebrate at the first sign of liftoff. I will watch in awe as the shuttle heads into space and the planet gets smaller. I will smile as the screen changes to a shot of NASA control. I will bow my head and say a small prayer for a safe journey. I will marvel at the shuttle. And finally, I will be sad knowing that the shuttle flights are swiftly coming to an end.
Just a side note and probably largely forgotten by many people is that the first shuttle was the Enterprise. It was a prototype and did not travel into space.
The shuttle was and still is a remarkable vehicle. The ships constructed for space travel was five, Columbia, Challenger, Endeavor, Discovery and Atlantis. Most of the shuttles were built during the late 70s and early 80s. A shuttle is the first reusable launch system ever designed, developed and implemented. These five ships are workhorses. We have the international space station, satellites orbiting the planet, rovers exploring other planets in our solar system and a far better understanding of the universe because of these ships and the people of NASA. The shuttle program has served the U.S. well for decades.
As with any flight program, this one had risks. Two of the five ships were lost, Challenger in 1986 and Columbia in 2003. These were tragic days, but few questioned the continued value of space exploration. It is testament to the U.S. people that we mourned the loss of brave astronauts, tried to learn from any mistakes, and resumed shuttle launches.
Humans are naturally curious. We want to know what is at the bottom of the ocean, what is beyond that mountain, what is beyond those stars. We spend fortunes, invest in new technology, and take great risks to find out. I think we are looking for answers and new sources of, well, just about everything up to and including new life, raw materials, energy, spices, you get the idea. It truly separates humans from all other animal forms on the planet. We are not only curious, we try to figure better and safer ways to explore.
Endeavor's last flight is planned for April 19th. Atlantis' last flight is tentatively scheduled for June 28th, but has not been funded.
This is the end of an era. For people around my age, we learned about the space missions of the 60s, we may remember the moon landing in 1969, studied space travel in school during the 70s and truly experienced space travel with the shuttle in the 80s.
Since the beginning of the shuttle program, we have seen over 130 launches. Please do not get the idea I have watched every one, but I have watched a few. However, this year I will try and watch the final flight of Endeavor and Atlantis, just like I watched Columbia take off 30 years ago. I will experience a thrill as I listen to the countdown. My heart will beat faster as the engines start right before takeoff. I will celebrate at the first sign of liftoff. I will watch in awe as the shuttle heads into space and the planet gets smaller. I will smile as the screen changes to a shot of NASA control. I will bow my head and say a small prayer for a safe journey. I will marvel at the shuttle. And finally, I will be sad knowing that the shuttle flights are swiftly coming to an end.
It was beautiful. First you listen to the countdown. As you listen, you are reminded of the substantial infrastructure needed to launch a shuttle. Second, you got to watch it lift off. Discovery climbed into the atmosphere. From the attached cameras you could see the planet get smaller and smaller. The ship rotates and then the booster tank is ejected. Off it goes on yet another mission. One we somewhat take for granted. The first shuttle took off over 30 years ago.
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
A Pioneer Passes
Ken Olsen, cofounder of Digital Equipment Corp (DEC), died today. He was an entrepreneur. His contributions to the technology and computer industries were substantial and long lasting. DEC was a high tech leader in building computers with (at the time) unheard of computing power and speed. At one point, DEC had 125,000 employees. He, along with others, helped create the infamous Massachusetts Route 128 also known as the High Tech Corridor. DEC was started in 1957 and purchased in 1998 by Compaq. Mr. Olsen earned his degree at MIT and worked for the Office of Naval Intelligence He was part of the team at the Office of Naval Intelligence that developed a flight simulator. It is worth taking a moment to remember a giant of the high tech industry and the long lasting impact of his work.
Sunday, February 6, 2011
The Fundamentals of a Business Expansion Program - DRAFT
First, allow me to begin by saying the word “retention” in the phrase Business Retention and Expansion (BR&E) program is a major thorn in my side. It is the overall context of “retention” within name of the program that gives me trouble. Retention implies old, tired businesses that we are trying to save. It implies that the community actually has programs and resources to “retain” jobs, to respond to companies with incentives when they threaten to relocate or shut down, and to repeatedly reward those companies that decide to stay for staying put. We all experienced situations when it is necessary to customize a solution to “retain” a company. In this case retention means the community’s economic survival hinges on keeping the company, but those events are rare. I think the types of economic development programs that serve local business and industry should be called Business Expansion Programs (BEP). The term “Business Expansion Program” communicates that the locality has a program for existing business and industry that their growth plans.
BEP programs remind me of car insurance. Everyone knows it is necessary, but it is not always appreciated until it is needed. This is unfortunate; it can translate into a minimum effort with meager results. Sometimes local industry executives are incorrectly perceived as complainers. So why makethe effort. In addition, I suspect it is because existing industry executives could give economic developers lessons on operating a business in the area. That may be information an economic development professional does not want to hear.
Most economic development board members do not know what to expect or why a vigorous BEP program is needed. The impression is that an industry call program is good because you visit existing customers, but board members cannot really tell you what they expect or the results they hope to achieve. The best case scenario is expansion announcement. It comes down to managing expectations.
The second component is that it takes more work than non ED professionals and ED board members realize. It takes far more time than simply meeting with an existing company. The follow-up and researching issues raised by local company executives can take 2 or 3 times longer than the actual meeting/interview.
On the other side, when you call on an existing industry, no matter how much prep work the ED professional does, the local industry executive is still wary for the reason of the call. It is understandable. It is not uncommon for existing industry executives to think the request for a meeting is a fundraising request or some other issue non-germane to the business operations.
A BEP good program requires the following:
· ED staff must have a general understanding about the basics of business.
· Calling on local executives at their facility is a fundamental requirement.
· An open ended questionnaire is preferred. The more the client talks, the more you learn.
· Follow-up is critical to the future relationship and the reputation of the program.
· It takes perseverance to address a client’s concerns and challenges.
· Patience is essential.
· ED staff should consider themselves an extension of the company’s staff.
· A confidentiality agreement may be requested by the company. Take it as a good sign.
· Contrary to popular belief, “I don’t know” is an acceptable answer, IF it is followed up by a timely response to the question or issue.
· No is an acceptable answer if you can tell the industry executive why. It helps if you can offer alternatives.
Economic development professionals walk a fine line when working with existing industry. A confidentiality request must be handled with the greatest respect. A break in confidence can result in rumors or worse, articles in the local newspaper or nightly news. The company executive team has an internal process to work through and it usually takes time.
The basic goal of a BEP is to begin building a relationship with existing industry executives. As the relationship grows you will be able to gain valuable economic trend data and primary intelligence. In addition, as you interact more with your local company executives you will be able to bring to their attention programs and resources they may not be aware of. Only through this type of effort can you build a successful program. With every communication to an existing industry executive ask yourself am I adding value to their operation?
Resources
An economic development professional has two main organizations and two service providers to help build a viable business expansion program. The list of associations is not by any means comprehensive, many state economic development organizations have active programs.
National Associations
Business Retention & Expansion International (BREI)
P.O. Box 3212
Bismarck, ND 58502-1852
(800) 677-9930
International Economic Development Council (IEDC)
734 15th Street NW, Suite 900
Washington, DC 20005
(202) 223-7800
Service Providers
Blane, Canada Ltd.
1506 Cadet Ct., Suite 100
Wheaton, IL 60189-7380
(630) 462-9222
ExecutivePulse, Inc.
11 East Fourth Street
Erie, PA 16507-1439
(866) 397-8573
Background Assistance
University of Minnesota Extension Service
http://www.extension.umn.edu/BusinessRetention/index.html
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